Exploration of metabolomics associated with disaster-related death: Analysis of metabolome with hypothermia

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19664
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 58:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Ogra Yasumitsu 千葉大学, 大学院薬学研究院, 教授 (40292677)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 永澤 明佳 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 講師 (30536735) ; 山岸 由和 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 特任助教 (50834470)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 低体温症 / 災害関連死 / メタボローム / LC-MS / 法中毒学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We successfully observed the cellular responses to hypothermia in human hepatoma cell line at 30°C without unexpected cell death. Under the culture condition, we evaluated the metabolome and observed that the uptake of sulfur-containing amino acids was enhanced.
Meanwhile, post-mortem changes in blood drug concentrations were also evaluated under low temperatures. We observed chemical reactions specifically occurring in dead body. Namely, we successfully observed post-mortem specific chemical species of drugs By utilizing these findings, it is possible to estimate the time elapsed after death from the concentrations of metabolites and post-mortem species of drug, thus we obtained important knowledge in forensic toxicology.

Free Research Field

法中毒学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、メタボローム解析を災害関連死の中でも、ご遺体の状況により死因や死亡時の状況を不確かなものとする低体温症・凍死に焦点を絞り、培養細胞を用いたメタボローム変動の分子機構の解明に裏付けられた定量的な死因究明に役立つ成果を挙げることができた。さらに、メタボローム解析を基盤技術として、死後の薬物の化学形態変化を明らかにし、生前の代謝とは異なる死後特有の薬物変化体の同定も行った。これらのことは、法中毒の実務においても有用な知見を得ることができたと考えている。